Workflow missions are utilized to counter threats such as criminal and terrorist activity. A workflow mission includes multiple instances of an application or types of applications working towards a common set of goals. In a typical workflow mission a collection of sensors, often of different types, provides raw data to computing resources. The computing resources process the raw data to produce a result which is more useful to human beings or other applications. Unless the sensors have large memory capacity to store data, and the raw data is manually retrieved, a communication network transports data and commands between devices.
Allocation of network resources to support workflow mission is a complex, manual process that requires technical expertise. The process is similar to network planning in the telecommunications field, where subject matter experts determine resource requirements and plan an appropriate deployment of those resources by mental estimate, manual calculation, or a combination of both. However, unlike planning a telecommunications network, planning a workflow mission may be acutely time-constrained, have greater risks associated with failure, and be in competition with other missions for scarce resource. Further complicating matters, a workflow mission is more likely to be subjected to dynamically changing conditions and requirements due to, for example, reduced offered load due to moisture, smoke, interference temperature, and jamming. A failure in resource allocation planning or a failure to adapt to changing conditions during a mission can manifest itself as missed targets resulting in cascading of risks, poor reaction to a mission's evolving circumstances, under- or mis-utilization of key resources, and performance degradation or partial failures which go unnoticed until a more complete failure occurs.